What is your strategy for planning a shoot?

bass_junkie83

bass_junkie83

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Dave
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Having recently given up the photography job I am going back to this being a hobby that I can enjoy again as I had all but stopped going out and about with a camera just for my own enjoyment.

I like the idea of landscapes, but it is not something I have ever been very good at. I live in South Essex so the landscape is pretty flat and dull, but there are a few mud flats and marshes towards the coast and a few minor landmarks that I have in mind that I might be able to do something with.

Now I know that there is a lot of luck involved with landscape photography, being at the right place at the right time hoping that the lighting conditions come together with something spectacular and there is no substitute for being out at the same spots regularly until the magic happens. However at this time of year particularly, sunrise/sunset pretty well coincides with when my little girls wakes up and goes to bed, I can get the occasional pass to go out on a photo-jolly, but if I try going out every morning and leave my wife to do the morning routine on her own she will soon be wearing my nuts as earrings!

So it got me thinking about planning, and I am curious as to what you guys do to plan a shoot for a particular location to maximise your chances of coming away with something worth while?
 
In no special order: look in detail at OS 1:25,000 or 1:50,000 maps; look at weather forecast including cloud cover maps; decide on what gear to take; make a list of likely pictures; decide on route to walk; if it's a location I can visualise and is hard to re-visit, do quick line sketch of photo compositions to come away with; be prepared to ignore any pre-planning and respond to place and weather.
 
If I know the place I check the forecast. If unknown I use google maps, the photographers ephemeris to work out if its a morning or afternoon location (I avoid shooting into the sun) and turn up early in the PM (if its an afternoon one to give me time to work out compositions) then return when the time is right.

Most of my shots I take again and again so I know the precise timings, compositions and gear to use.
 
Also having a young child I tend to scout locations whenever I get a chance, so that on the rare occasion I can get out I know where I am going and what I am going to shoot.

For a landmark I'll decide if it is a morning/evening/night shot, then go if the weather conditions work.
 
My planning consists entirely on deciding the general area I am going to. The rest I leave to serendipity. Bestbeloved likes to plan her outings to the Nth degree (she is a birder) but, for me, that plans out the possibility of anything unexpected and exciting happening.

Even if I am intending to do something very specific such as do a photo essay on a particular church I allow for the possibility that I shall come across a church I do not know about and 'do' that one instead.

I do plan as far as knowing where the nearest tearooms are, both for tea and for comfort breaks.
 
I check tide tables if it's on the coast and usually have a look at the OS map of that area and work out where sunrise/sunset will be depending on when I'm going, that can save you a long walk only to find sunset is behind a hill or something. That and weather forcast.
 
bass_junkie83 said:
.......but if I try going out every morning and leave my wife to do the morning routine on her own she will soon be wearing my nuts as earrings!

So it got me thinking about planning, and I am curious as to what you guys do to plan a shoot for a particular location to maximise your chances of coming away with something worth while?
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Firstly, you don't need testicles to operate a camera..... ;) :p

The first thing I do is check the weather forecast. If it's stormy/sunny with fluffy clouds then it's (more open) landscape or coastal. If it's foggy (low overnight temp & high humidity I find) or overcast then it's a woodland hike! << just like this morning.
Knowing where your flask is, is just as important as your camera bag :)
I know quite a few local spots/woodlands/forests now without using maps. But, I do subscribe to OS Maps - You can plot routes, save routes, follow other peoples routes, the App works well..... Certainly worth it IMO If you study this alongside Google Maps you can work out where to park, the nearest shop/pub/etc The planning can be good - I quite enjoy it at times :)
Ventusky is good for weather (desktop & App)
Tide times also. We have lots of mud in the Bristol channel so I rarely shoot coastal at low tide!

We also have a small bag packed with drinks & snacks to quickly grab. And also an old backpack of clothes/spare socks/etc which I chuck in the car just in case. Nothing worse than a long drive home with wet feet!!

Also..... Flickr & Instagram (& Google images) of the location. I often do that just to see what other people have made of the place beforehand ;)
 
Thanks guys, plenty of helpful tips! :D

I have use TPE a few times but probably not really used it enough to really understand it.

Wayne Els said:
I have a long list of local (and not so local) ideas. Most are reliant on a set of specific times of year and or weather and tidal conditions. If it looks like some of them are going to pan out I will give that location a go. If I'm being more general it will be weather and time/position of sunrise.
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LeeRatters said:
The first thing I do is check the weather forecast. If it's stormy/sunny with fluffy clouds then it's (more open) landscape or coastal. If it's foggy (low overnight temp & high humidity I find) or overcast then it's a woodland hike! << just like this morning.
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This is particularly useful, thanks. Understanding the weather and predicting what is likely to happen the next day will hopefully go a long way to making the most of when I get to head out, so more reading up on this subject I think!
 
Hey Dave,

As others have mentioned. Learning to read the weather is the best thing to do. Learning about cloud cover & cloud types, air pressure, humidty, checking multiple weather sources etc. These are key. Thomas Heaton did an excellent video on this.

Research online about potential locations and visiting the same spots repeatedly tend to help as well as you become more familiar you can spot different angles and options. Thats the approach I try to take anyway. :)
 
One lesson I seem unable to learn - if you are shooting around sunrise/sunset, decide a plan and STICK TO IT; there's nothing worse than second guessing where you thought you were going to go due to weather or last minute indecision, and ending up arriving too late because you faffed around for too long, or finding that the weather changes once again and realising you would have been better sticking to plan A.
 
ihasa said:
One lesson I seem unable to learn - if you are shooting around sunrise/sunset, decide a plan and STICK TO IT; there's nothing worse than second guessing where you thought you were going to go due to weather or last minute indecision, and ending up arriving too late because you faffed around for too long, or finding that the weather changes once again and realising you would have been better sticking to plan A.
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Deffo! And always better to be early. If you're there in the dark have a coffee (take a flask) and get ready. The light and conditions at dawn change rapidly. You should have time to change location a little bit between two or 3 vantage points and then move back without massive differences in light but the entire thing can be over in an hour. Mist in valleys can burn off very quickly and a stunning dawn can become a bland day in no time.
 
I’ve had some success flying around in google earth looking for potential compositions, then first visit to check the general area in good daylight. Then watch the forecast for suitable weather conditions before heading back to shoot. Usually shooting at night, evening or morning so good to have visited to avoid stumbling around in the dark. Occasionally camped out overnight.
 
Hello there, Dave.

I'd agree that checking out the weather is crucial once you've got somewhere in mind. If you visit an area regularly or you'll be there for a week or two it's worth digging deep into online resources. But probably the most important tool is good mapping. The page below is a personal angle on it and majors on Ireland, but the nuts and bolts of the information would apply throughout the UK.

Good luck! Hope it all works out.

https://theimageplane.wordpress.com/2018/12/12/maps-for-exploring-ireland/

.
 
Strategy for planning anything... Before you start planning, ask yourself "What's the job?", eg establish exactly what do you want to achieve. Once you are crystal clear on what you want to try to achieve, then planning what you'll need to achieve it should be very much easier. Reminding yourself what the job is at intervals while doing it should help you stay on track. (y)
 
DG Phototraining said:
Decide where to go - check for cafes/pubs for food, otherwise take my own

Check weather that morning and unless rain ALL day is forecast, I go anyway

Have a great time, sometimes get a nice shot
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my approach exactly, though if I'm being honest, i'd substitute "very rarely" for "sometimes"
 
I say don't take strategy and planning too seriously, the reason being is you can be so fixated on one particular shot in certain conditions and when you get to your location the weather doesn't play ball. My approach is it's better to have a very loose plan and adjust to the conditions on the day.

This sounds more complex than it is but it starts with the weather forecast (usually the day before from BBC TV and MetOffice website), if it looks interesting (let's say frost/snow/mist) I'll think about getting out for sunrise (generally my favourite time), then think what will the conditions suit - woodland works well with dense fog or falling snow, and frost is amazing for exposed heathland. Wider scenes could suit low lying mist, frost, fallen snow but more importantly decent light. It's really important to know the areas you're planning to shoot in, that can only be gained by lots of exploring, sometimes using guide books to scout. My local area is good for intimate views but I might think about visiting a national park for wider scenes, I can get to parts of the Peak District in about 1.5 hours so it's a case of working out where I can be for sunrise, how long it'll take to walk to my preferred spot and what time I need to set off. When I get there if conditions don't look suited to what I had in mind, say the forecast had predicted low lying mist but there's drizzle instead, and I'd planned to be at the top of a hill, I'd visit woodland or maybe find waterfalls instead. It's all about that combination of how conditions suit certain subjects and knowing areas well enough so you can resort to something else. A lot of my photography is reacting to how the light catches the landscape, I very rarely use apps like the Photographer's Ephemeris, I find that approach a bit clinical but it is important to have an idea of where the sun is rising and setting, which you'll generally have with a bit of experience and knowing areas well.

Another thing I'd add is at this time of year it can be incredibly difficult reaching hilly or ultra rural locations, if there's been heavy snow and roads haven't been ploughed, you don't have winter tyres or aren't a confident driver, you probably wouldn't want to attempt an early morning cross country drive and would be better off keeping local. Be realistic about where you can get to in harsh winter conditions.

This is a much longer post than intended but hope it helps!
 
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